#133 Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

This year I'm again asking for World Peace, Love and Harmony.

My grown up Christmas list includes extra love and hugs for my family, friends and the special guy that makes me so happy--Clay Aiken.

I have been good this year and promise to do better in the next.

Thank you Santa,
Hugs, Me











wallpaper:

Gorgeous Clay photos by: Toni7babe; Fivegoldens; All about love;
Snix; ClayizzaQT and Scrpkym




Christmas Customs Around the World


Our Christmas holiday owes a lot of its fun and joy to celebrations around the world with roots that extend far back in history.

Do you hang stockings by the mantle or display a nativity scene, also called a crèche, depicting the birth of Christ? During the month of December, churches may be hung with evergreens, and often children perform in nativity plays. Many churches will hold special services both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The original Santa was Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in 4th-century Myra, now in the country of Turkey. He was famous for his generosity, and he became the patron saint of children.

Legend says that he heard of a poor man whose three daughters could not afford to marry. Saint Nicholas is said to have tossed bags of gold down the chimney and into their drying stockings so the girls would be able to wed. This may be the origin of our own custom of hanging stockings for Santa Claus. Let's look at some other ways the holiday is celebrated around the world:

In England, the jolly elf is called Father Christmas as well as Saint Nicholas. There he sports an extra long coat and beard. The English people enjoy eating plum pudding, drinking wassail, and carolling in their neighbourhoods.

In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas brings presents to children on the eve of December 6. He rides through the streets on a white horse and is assisted by Swarte Piet (Black Pete).

The Dutch who settled in New Amsterdam, later New York, called him Sinter Klaas from which we get our name, Santa Claus. He was described in Washington Irving's book, Knickerbocker's History of New York (1809), as a rotund, jolly figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat and smoking a long-stemmed pipe. The most famous poem about Santa is Clement C. Moore's A Visit from St. Nicholas (1823).

Christmas trees are not so common in Italy. The Italians' focus is on the nativity scene or presepio as they call it. Presents are brought to children on Epiphany (the 6th of January) by Befana, a kindly witch. La Befana will leave only ashes for naughty children!

Children love breaking a piñata to get toys and sweets in Mexico. People re-enact the search for lodging in Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph in posada processions that wind through the streets.

After attending midnight mass at church, families in France gather for a special supper called Le Réveillon. Their traditional Christmas cake is called the buche de Noel. Children look forward to the visit of Pere Noel and leave shoes by the fireplace for him to fill with goodies.

Jultomten, the Swedish Santa, has elfin helpers called tomtar. For the Swedes, St. Lucia Day on December 13 begins the Christmas season. On this morning, the eldest daughter of the house, dressed in white and wearing a wreath of candles on her head, serves coffee and sweet rolls to the rest of the family.

On December 6, St. Nicholas' Day, German children leave their lists of wishes for the saint to fill on Christmas, and traditionally they receive candy or twigs, depending on whether they have been naughty or nice. Also according to German legends, on Christmas Eve, rivers may turn to wine, animals may speak to each other, tree blossoms may bear fruit, and mountains may open to reveal fantastic gems. The Christmas tree, originally a German custom, is not revealed to the children until Christmas Eve, when it is shown to them decorated with marzipan, fruits, nuts and chocolate. After the great surprise of the magical tree is revealed, gifts are opened, carols are sung and sometimes sparklers are lit.

Did you know?

~ Eating mince pie on Christmas is supposed to bring good luck.

~ The Puritans banned Christmas carols.

~ St. Francis of Assisi is given credit for making the first crèche.








Thank you all from far and near for visiting, Happy Holidays!

#129 Friends & Blends

Winter is on it's way and bringing Christmas closer every day.
Clay's Christmas in the Heartland will be launching Monday! How thrilling is that!!

Until the delight of the new clack from our beloved phototographers and videographers rolls in I'm using more of my favourite photos from past as well as present.

The poem doesn't really fit a wintery setting, but the moral of the story goes for all seasons.

Thank you for stopping by ~ Enjoy your visit!





















Once upon a time,
The colors of the world
Started to quarrel.
All claimed they were the best,
The most important,
The most useful,
The favorite.





"GREEN" said,
"Clearly I am the most important ...
I am the sign of life and of hope;
I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves,
Without me, all animals would die;
Look over the countryside
And you will see that I am in the majority."





"BLUE" interrupted,
"You only think about the earth,
But consider the sky and the sea ...
It is the water that is the basis of life
And it is drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea;
The sky gives space and peace and serenity,
Without my peace, you would all be nothing."






"YELLOW" chuckled,
"You are all so serious ...
I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world,
The sun, the moon and the stars are all yellow;
Every time you look at a sunflower,
The whole world starts to smile,
Without me there would be no fun."






"ORANGE" started next to blow her trumpet ...
"I am the color of health and strength,
I may be scarce, but I am precious
For I serve the needs of human life,
I carry the most important vitamins;
Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, and mangoes,
I don't hang around all the time,
But when I do, I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset,
My beauty is so striking that no one gives
Another thought to any of you."






"RED" could stand it no longer so he shouted out ...
"I am the ruler of all of you!
I am blood ... life's blood!
I am the color of danger and of bravery,
I am willing to fight for a cause,
I bring fire into the blood;
Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon,
I am the color of passion and of love,
The red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."





"PURPLE" rose up to his full height,
He was very tall and spoke with great pomp ...
"I am the color of royalty and power,
Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me
For I am the sign of authority and wisdom,
People do not question me! They listen and obey."






Finally "INDIGO" spoke,
Much more quietly than all the others,
But with just as much determination ...
"Think of me. I am the color of silence,
You hardly notice me,
But without me you all become superficial;
I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water,
You need me for balance and contrast,
For prayer and inner peace."






And so the colors went on boasting,
Each convinced of his or her own superiority.
Their quarreling became louder and louder.
Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightning!
Thunder rolled and boomed!
Rain started to pour down relentlessly.
The colors crouched down in fear,
Drawing close to one another for comfort.


In the midst of the clamor, "RAIN" began to speak ...
"You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves,
Each trying to dominate the rest;
Don't you know that you were each made
For a special purpose, unique and different?
Join hands with one another and come to me."


Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.
The rain continued,
"From now on, when it rains,
Each of you will stretch across the sky
In a great bow of color as a reminder
That you can all live in peace.
The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow."


~ Author Unknown ~






And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.
There is something very SPECIAL in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a DIFFERENCE.

If we can become AWARE of that GIFT, we gain through the STRENGTH of our VISION, the POWER to SHAPE THE FUTURE.














Delicious photos are thanks to ILClaymate; Scrpkym; PermaSwooned;
dc4clay; Ambassador of Love; jtgranny